KANAB, Utah — The threatened pause on federal funding could have a big impact on several organizations in Utah, including local non-profits, many of which rely on grants and other ways of keeping their operations going.
"This directive will have a devastating impact on Utah and the nonprofits that serve our communities," said Jill Bennett, CEO of Utah Nonprofits Association, a non-profit working to unify and strengthen local 501C3 groups that impact us all in a variety of ways.
"Our citizens rely on nonprofits for everything from… neonatal care to end-of-life sheltering for people who would otherwise be homeless, and we do everything in between. So when the federal government doesn’t acknowledge the work that we do, it’s heartbreaking."
Bennett sent out an urgent email Tuesday to association members addressing the Trump Administration's announcement of a freeze in federal grants and what she fears will be a devastating impact on local nonprofits she claims are running tight ships when it comes to their often relatively small budgets as it is, "Half of Utah’s nonprofits operate on budgets of under 500-thousand dollars."
Max Roth explains below how much the State of Utah depends on federal funding:
Like one of their members, Stellar Vista Observatory, set to open this spring in Kanab.
"Our mission is to provide opportunities for people to comprehend and appreciate what we can see in southern Utah’s starry skies," Rich Csenge told FOX 13 News anchor Amy Nay.
Csenge founded the 501C3 which, in conjunction with the Kane County Water Conservancy District, will open an astronomical observatory for public viewing at the conservancy's Jackson Flat Reservoir property.
"We have the monies available through the Governor’s Office of Outdoor Recreation and through Kane County, and private funding mechanisms we have for Phase One of our project," he shared.
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But Csenge says the next phase, estimated at twice the cost of the initial build, may now be at risk since they were hoping for federal grants to help that happen.
"It’s certainly concerning when non profits are targeted for cuts," he said.
Even with a judge blocking the action Tuesday afternoon, minutes before going into effect, Bennett fears what could happen, believing it will be a detrimental ripple affect that will hit us all.
"These cuts don’t solve America’s problems," she said. "They don’t come near to solving America’s problems. Instead, they’re going to make them deeper and more entrenched."
